Summary: The Ombudsman cannot investigate Mr Q’s complaint about the Council’s refusal to do repairs to his council property or its refusal to give him an allocated parking space. This is because we have no jurisdiction to investigate the housing management issues complained of.

The complaint

1. The complainant, who I have called Mr Q, has complained about the actions of Woking Borough Council. He said it had refused to do all the repairs he wants to his Council property. He also complained it has refused to give him an allocated parking space.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. We cannot investigate complaints about the provision or management of social housing by a council acting as a registered social housing provider. (Local Government Act 1974, paragraph 5A schedule 5, as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered the information Mr Q provided. I considered the information the Council provided.

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What I found

5. Mr Q is a Council tenant. He is a wheelchair user.
6. Since moving to his home Mr Q has complained to the Council about disrepair in his property, including provision of an electric heater in his bathroom. He also wanted minor adaptations done to enable him to access his home and garden more easily. And he complained about the Council’s refusal to give him an allocated parking space.
7. The Council arranged for its contractor to remedy most of the repairs and to do the adaptations. But it did not agree to provide an electric heater in Mr Q’s bathroom. Nor did it agree to give him an allocated parking space on the estate where he lives.
8. The Council is a social housing provider and the matters Mr Q complains of are housing management matters. So the restriction described in paragraph 3 applies. We have no jurisdiction to investigate these matters and cannot do so.

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Final decision

9. We cannot investigate Mr Q’s complaint as it is outside our jurisdiction.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman